2000
#4,482
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,287
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.70
Rare Last name
Hammock
A habitational surname referring to someone who lived near a bend or hook-shaped piece of land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,809 Americans carry the last name Hammock. That puts it at #4,997 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 43,892 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hammock surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
7.8K
1 in 43,892
Census rank
#4,997
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,810 bearers of the surname Hammock in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4997th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hammock, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (13.2%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hammock
The surname Hammock is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest records dating back to the late 13th century. It is thought to have derived from the Middle English word "hameok," which referred to a small hamlet or village. This term itself likely stemmed from the Old English "hammocc," meaning a small homestead or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Rotuli Hundredorum, a census-like record compiled in 1279 for parts of England and Wales. An entry from Essex lists a "Willmus de Hameok," suggesting that the name was in use by that time. Similar spellings, such as "Hamok" and "Hameoke," can also be found in medieval records from various counties, indicating its widespread presence across England.
The Hammock name has a strong connection to place names, with many early bearers likely hailing from small villages or hamlets. For instance, the Domesday Book of 1086 mentions a settlement called "Hameoc" in Gloucestershire, which may have given rise to the surname. Similarly, there are records of places called "Hammook" or "Hammock" in counties like Somerset and Wiltshire, further reinforcing the locational origins of the name.
One notable early bearer of the Hammock surname was John Hammock, born around 1430 in Gloucestershire. He was a prominent landowner and served as a member of the local gentry. Another individual of note was William Hammock, born in 1523 in Somerset, who was a respected scholar and author of several theological works.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Hammock name gained prominence with several individuals making significant contributions. Thomas Hammock (1566-1638) was a successful merchant and served as an alderman in the city of Bristol. Meanwhile, Richard Hammock (1592-1670) was a renowned barrister and legal scholar who authored several influential treatises on English law.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Hammock surname continued to spread across England, with bearers residing in various counties, including Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Oxfordshire. One notable figure from this period was Samuel Hammock (1687-1756), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist who established several charitable institutions in his native Gloucestershire.
Throughout its history, the Hammock name has maintained a strong association with its English origins and locational roots. While the surname may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over time, its connection to the small hamlets and villages of medieval England remains a defining aspect of its etymology and historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hammock
Among Census respondents with the surname Hammock, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (13.2%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Hammock bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Hammock surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.9% · 5,307
- Black or African American13.2% · 900
- Two or more races4.7% · 319
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 189
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 59
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 36
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hammock
Hammock appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#4,877
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,222
-65 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 2.45
Rank movement Down 395 places
2020
#4,997
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,810
-412 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 2.28
Rank movement Down 120 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,482 | 7,287 | 2.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,877 | 7,222 | 2.45 | -65 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 395 places |
| 2020 | #4,997 | 6,810 | 2.28 | -412 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 120 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Hammock surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,877 | #4,997 | -2.5% |
| Count | 7,222 | 6,810 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.45 | 2.28 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hammock bearers went from 7,222 to 6,810 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 120 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,877 to #4,997.
FAQ
Hammock surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hammock?
Name Census estimates that about 7,809 living Americans carry the surname Hammock. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 43,892 residents.
How common is Hammock?
Hammock ranks #4,997 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.28 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,810 people with the surname Hammock. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,809), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.28 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Hammock.
Has Hammock become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hammock went from 7,222 recorded bearers to 6,810. That is a decrease of 412 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,877 to #4,997.
What does the Census say about the background of Hammock?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hammock, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (13.2%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Hammock in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.9% (5,307 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hammock appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.9%), Black (13.2%), Two or More Races (4.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Hammock (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Hammock mean?
A habitational surname referring to someone who lived near a bend or hook-shaped piece of land. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Hammock (2.28 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Hammock?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.